Eduardo Pontaoe
5 Aug 2007

It’s all in a dream! The notion Alaminos becoming a modern day Atlantis, is just as mythical . . . and erroneously flawed like that island mentioned by Plato in his dialogue Timaeus and Critias.

Mr. Oriel, in his uncontrolled excitement to deluge us with his unscrupulous beliefs of what’s going to happen in Alaminos, is his acceptance to an exercise grounded in mendacity.

The 20 year Master Plan for the development of Alaminos. . . the way it can be seen . . . with all the embellishments of airport, marine park and what not they can think of, is the length of time they envisioned how to partake with each other, the humongous amount in the pig’s trough.

With the vicious attack of a great white, it wouldn’t be surprising, if ever this P700M for airport alone and monies for the marine park and other projects, will last that long if released. Predators on the sides are at the ready and an offal-like thrown overboard will initiate a feeding frenzy unimaginable.

Fidel Ramos, a thick skulled performer who has no business of whatsoever in Alaminos’ affairs jumped into the fray . . . greased his palms? Way to make a living being an uncensored, unregistered lobbyist for anybody wanting to smooth the way.

His words, “Alaminos is the hottest investment site and the giant market of China”. Comparing Alaminos to China is a confused summation, an slander to the Chinese and the investors Alaminos trying to entice. He should be well informed. Was a president, right?

And Mr. Oriel boxed-in against the wall would try a no brainer - unabashedly say that all what he said; God made him do it. Like a cowardly churchyard bully who will hide behind the sacristy for sanctuary.

Decongesting Dagupan

By Gerry Garcia

SHOPPING in this city’s business center, especially for car-riding commuters from outside Dagupan, has become a chore next to the impossible of being achieved.

Why?

First of all, because our streets in the downtown area narrow and filled to the brim with passenger jeepneys and buses momentarily stalled to hail passengers wanting to go home. Private motorists, as a result, continue to scour the entire length of the crowded street for a space to park their cars thereby further abetting traffic snarls.

Finding no space, the frustrated motorists either leave or . . . risk having their cars towed away for wrong parking. And the cost of recovering the car is quite forbidding: P1,000 only.
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Waterless folk

By Jun Velasco

A VERY powerful, hair-raising (?) campaign against formula milk  which is being valiantly fought by Pingkoy Duque’s DoH shows a puppy suckling  from a mother dog, a piglet from a mother pig  and, here’s the punchline, human babies suckling from animal cows!

Shocking? Read on.

 We had this world health authority from Malaysia who has been campaigning against cow’s milk all his life, blaming it for the many ailments of humans since time immemorial.

Millions  have already signed  up with the campaign anchoring their argument on the theory that we need to avoid cow’s milk if only to defeat all these diseases we’ve been getting  and, of course, for longevity and lasting wellness.
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A proactive PACU

By Gonzalo Duque

THE barangay and Kabataang Barangay elections are only two months away.

We advise those who are training their eyes on becoming officials to avoid being controversial these days. The President has his “listening centers” all over the country and won’t hesitate to apply the presidential whip to any erring official.

Some policy-making advisers have advised abolishing these organizations. Maybe they should go - but not yet at this time.

Our democratic President wants to give everyone a chance to make up and be an asset to the Republic.
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Talent & time

By Al S. Mendoza

WE have the talent but, unfortunately, not the time to produce wonders on the world stage.

Talent alone is not enough.  Time is talent’s twin brother always.

The San Miguel-Pilipinas Team was oozing with talent but, alas, it didn’t have time to make talent produce clockwork-precision.

You don’t have time, talent becomes useless.

Players were even absorbing injuries left and right-one reason being that cramming for battles imposes unnecessary pressure on muscle and mind.
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Goodbye

By Eva C. Visperas

It has always been music to my ears every time I heard people say they always looked forward to reading this paper, including this section. That gave me so much encouragement to always do better, write better in succeeding columns.

        I felt good each time readers said what was written in this column was true, especially if it involved exposing anomalies, or if readers were happy to read something amusing, or when they were moved.

        To them, I say thank you very much.
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Strength

By +Oscar V. Cruz D. D.

In general, strength is an asset—a potential for doing well, a capacity for doing good. This is true for physical, intellectual or emotional strength. The same is true for economic and/or political strength. It is especially true of moral strength which is the cause of upright and firm resolve to overcome the call of the flesh, the enticement of wealth, the greed for power—among many other attributions.

During the last SONA, the one who presented the present and future state of the nation gave the parting words that a President was as strong as this could want it. The statement was received with cheers. There was a standing ovation even. Needless to say, it was a claim to political strength, the expressed manifestation of which is the often said “political will”—understood as the desire, resolve and ability to do what is right, true and just. Its opposite is precisely the “lack of political will”.
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Embryo transfer in goats successful at CLSU-SRC

By Sosimo Ma. Pablico

Researchers of the CLSU Small Ruminant Center (SRC) and the Philippine Carabao Center have successfully shown that embryo transfer could be done in goats.

Despite a minimal budget of PhP350,000 for four years since September 2005, the SRC embryo transfer project has already produced two kids or newly born goats and five does are still expected to give birth soon.   

With Dr. Cruz as coordinator, Dr. Lucia M. Rigos of the CLSU College of Agriculture leads this project with the collaboration of Dr. Felomino V. Mamuad and Dr. Edwin C. Atabay, both of the Philippine Carabao Center, Allan Quiambao, Alvin P. Soriano and Fitz Vengerald L. Mamuad.
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When will we ever learn?

By Jesus a. Garcia Jr.

BASKETBALL lovers who followed the stints of our national squad during the FIBA-Asia Olympic Qualifying Championship in Tokushima, Japan held recently saw how our Asian neighbors Iran and Jordan humiliated and ousted us from the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

        It was really ironic that these two teams, which we used to easily beat during the time of Carlos Loyzaga, Lauro Mumar and even up to the era of Carlos Badion, Robert Jaworski and Tembong Melencio are now trouncing us despite sending our best professional dribblers composed of PBA superstars. First step pa lang tayo, talo na, how much more if we faced the South Koreans, our mortal rival in Asia, then and until now.
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